Are You Ready to Be a Minivan Mom?

How do you know if you’re a minivan mom? I didn’t think I was. It seems like minivan moms are a certain type of mom. But really, they aren’t. You can be one, too! Here’s how I changed my mind and some tips for buying your first minivan and joining the minivan mom club!

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I changed my mind about minivans

My parents always had SUVs when I was growing up. They still have an SUV, and they’ll only buy the same one but a newer model every few years. But they’re really the ones that changed my mind about minivans.

I didn’t want a minivan. Ever. I wasn’t the soccer mom type. They’re lame and uncool.

Well, fast forward to being pregnant and on vacation with my family in Florida. My dad always rents a minivan when we all go on vacation even though they’re adamant about owning SUVs.

The reason is that minivans are more practical especially when you’re toting a lot of people and a lot of stuff.

Now that I’m *shudder* 30, I don’t care about “cool” anymore. I want practical. I want space to cart stuff around, automatic doors, and the ability to comfortably seat 6 adults for road trips.

So if you’re more concerned about practicality rather than looking cool, you’re ready to be a minivan mom.

So how do you know if you are ready to be a Minivan Mom?

If you can check off at least a few of these:

• You want lots of space to haul people and/or stuff.
• You have at least one kid or plan to have a kid or five.
• You’re not too concerned with gas mileage. (It’s not fantastic for minivans.)
• You like sliding doors.
• You’re willing to embrace the Minivan Mom stereotype or just let it go.
• You don’t mind driving a big vehicle.

Minivans are awesome even if you just have one kid

We only have one toddler, but we wanted a minivan. It will last until she’s at least 10 or so.

She’s going to have friends that need to be transported to events. She might be in sports or in the band. If she decides to play the tuba, I’m covered. I have so much space for people and stuff.

Even though we only have one kid and one car seat, I’ve already noticed that it’s so much easier to get her in and out of the minivan.

My old Pontiac G6 was lower to the ground and the seat was in the middle so I had to climb into the car. The minivan is up higher, and the seat is right next to the door that automatically opens!

The stow and go feature is awesome because you can fold down one of the second-row seats to haul stuff. No more borrowing someone else’s car when we need to move big things like TVs or if we buy playground equipment.

You don’t need a pile of kids of your own to justify buying a minivan.

Be prepared for people to ask you about future kids

Because the stereotype is “moms with minivans have 4 kids,” people are going to ask you if you’re having more. It’s just inevitable.

Almost every single person I’ve talked to about buying a minivan has asked us.

So if you’re the type of person that doesn’t like to discuss family plans with rando’s, just be prepared for that.

Find the right minivan for your family

Check out Cars.com to get an idea of what is available in your area. You can choose “search by body style” then look at all of the minivans.

We knew that we wanted a Dodge Grand Caravan so we just searched for those specifically.

Do you want new or is used okay? We opted for a used 2016 minivan. It was originally from a rental company so it was basically brand new but $12,000 cheaper.

What features do you want? Use the menu on the left to filter your results for the features you’re looking for. Try searching for everything on your wishlist then search for just your absolute necessities.

We thought we needed Bluetooth, but when we actually saw the cars, we realized we just need an auxiliary port and a USB port. The only thing I really needed was the keyless start.

Also, if you need to sell your old car but it’s totaled, try We Buy Totaled Cars.

Quick tips on dealing with dealers

1. Find a dealer that buys used rental cars. They will have a fleet of minivans that usually have fewer than 25,000 miles and are basically brand new for an affordable price.
2. Don’t take your kid(s) with you. They’re a huge distraction.
3. Compare features and decide which ones you need and don’t need. We decided against a DVD system because tablets are a thing now.
4. Print out a bunch of the same or similar vans from different dealers from Cars.com and take them to the dealer. Show them you’re considering a whole pile of vans and ask them what they’re willing to offer you.
5. Want to feel like a badass? Take a test drive over to another dealer and say “They’re offering me this for this car. Beat it.” Odds are they have that exact same car.

Are you a minivan mom?

Or are you thinking of joining the minivan mom club? Let me know in the comments below!

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